X Factor judge
Louis Walsh has done what any good friend would do and stepped in for
Simon Cowell at auditions for the US version of the show after the music mogul fell ill with bronchitis.

Just two days ago, Louis was seen arriving at the UK auditions in Manchester (Picture: Getty)

Ireland’s most incoherent export (apart from Jedward) Louis is currently sitting on the X Factor USA judging panel alongside Britney Spears , LA Reid and Demi Lovato after Simon was taken ill.

A relative unknown to American audiences, Louis is filling some big shoes as he steps in for Simon, who fell ill just as the auditions were about to kick off in Kansas City.

Sources say that Simon was so desperate to get Louis out to America to fill in for him that he chartered a private jet to take him to the US straight from the UK auditions, which are currently under way in Manchester.

Simon, seen here with his fellow X Factor USA judges, has been taken ill according to sources (Picture: Getty)

‘Simon said it was an emergency and Louis was the man for the job,’ a source said. ‘He said he’d sorted out a private jet for him and he was to get on it as soon as he finished up in Manchester [yesterday].’

And it sounds like Simon had a job of persuading Fox network executives that Louis was the right person to preside over auditions at The X Factor USA, since he isn’t well-known on the other side of the pond.

Britney will find herself sitting next to Louis on the panel while Simon is ill (Picture: Getty)

The insider added: ‘He greased the wheels with the US bosses, telling them that Louis was the man who knew more about The X Factor than any other judge.’

However, as little as five hours before news emerged of Simon’s illness, it looked like his fellow permanent judges were still out of the loop, with Britney tweeting: ‘Hope that Kansas City is ready for @TheXFactorUSA to roll into town tomorrow….let’s go! @simoncowell @ddlovato @la_reid #KCFactor’.

It is thought that once Simon has recovered from his bout of bronchitis, Louis will return to the UK to resume his place on the UK version, where he is the only remaining original judge on the show.